An talla 'm bu ghnàth le MacLòid

Le Màiri Nighean Alasdair Ruaidh

Rann 1 Righ! gur muladach tha mi, Righ – Lord; muladach – sad; gun – without; Lord! I am sad, mhireadh – mirth; mhànran – melody; talla – 'S mi gun mhireadh 's gun mhànran, hall; ghnàth – customary, usual; Taigh – house; I am without mirth and without melody, macnasach – merry: meaghrach – festive; Anns an talla 'm bu ghnàth le Mac Leòid, maca – young men; maighdeann – maidens; In the hall where it was customary for MacLeod to be, Far – where; tartarach – clamorous: Taigh mòr macnasach, meaghrach gleadhraich – loud; corn – drinking horn; Great house that was merry and festive Nam maca 's nam maighdeann, With young men and maidens, Far 'm bu tartarach gleadhraich nan còrn. Where the clamour of the drinking horns was loud.

Rann 2 Tha do thalla mòr prìseil mòr – great; prìseil – valuable, precious; Your precious great hall fhasgadh – shelter; dìon – protection; faca – Gun fhasgadh gun dìon ann saw; fion – wine; òl – drunk; dhìobhail – loss; Open and unguarded thachair – happened; Thàinig – came; dìl' – Far am faca mi 'm fion bhith ga òl. deluge; aitreabh – dwelling; cianail – Where I saw wine being drunk. melancholy; leam – to me; tachairt – happen; Och mo dhìobhail mar thachair! chòir – near to; O the loss that has happened! Thàinig dìl' air an aitreabh Came a deluge upon the dwelling 'S ann is cianail leam tachairt na chòir. And I feel melancholy when I happen to be near it.

Rann 3 Shir Tormod nam bratach, Shir – Sir; Tormod – Norman; bratach - Sir Norman of the banners, banners; Fear – man; dhealbh-sa – figure; Fear do dhealbh-sa bu tearc e, tearc – rare; sgeilm – vainglory; chur – put; A man the like of you is rare, asad – from you; bòst – boast; Leat – with you; Gun sgeilm a chur asad no bòst, mhiannach – desirous; coin – dogs; lùthmhor No vainglory from you nor boastfulness, – agile; Dol – go; shiubhal – traverse; Leat bu mhiannach coin lùthmhor stùcbheann – craggy mountains; gunna – gun; Your desire is to have agile hounds diùltadh – refuse; òrd – hammer, trigger; Dol a shiubhal nan stùcbheann, To traverse the peaked mountains, 'S an gunna nach diùltadh r' a h-òrd And the gun that responds to the trigger.

Rann 4 Bha thu measail aig uaislean, measail – esteemed; uaislean – nobles; beagan You were esteemed by the nobility, – little; chruas – hardship; ort – to you; Siud – 'S cha robh beagan mar chruas ort, that; cleachdadh – habit; fhuair – got; aois – And little caused you hardship, age; òig – young; teist – reputation; deagh – Siud an cleachdadh a fhuair thu 'd aois òig. good; urram – respect; freastal – attending, That was your habit from a young age. dealing; gach – each; duine – man; dheiseachd Fhuair thu teist is deagh urram – elegance; uirghioll – eloquence; beòil – of the You gained a reputation and good respect mouth, speech; Ann am freastal gach duine, In dealing with all men, Air dheiseachd 's air uirghioll beòil. With elegant and eloquent speech.

Màiri Nighean Alasdair Ruaidh (Mary Macleod) was closely related to the chiefs of Clan MacLeod. She lived between 1615 and 1705 (approximately) and was employed as a children's nurse in the Macleod household where she was also esteemed as a prolific bard. She boasted of having been nursemaid to five Macleod lairds. On one occasion her poetry offended the current chief and she was banished from Dunvegan for a while. This song refers to Sir Norman Macleod of Bernera and contains sixteen verses of which we sing four.

Tom Colquhoun Largs Gaelic choir